The violent past of the feckless father who is costing the taxpayer £1.5million in benefits for his ten children by ten women was exposed last night.Keith Macdonald, who has been in and out of prison, may even have fathered up to 15 children – with 14 different mothers.The jobless 25-year-old, who met most of his conquests at bus stops, has convictions for violence against one of his ex-girlfriends.

In 2008, he was given a three-year suspended sentence and ordered to undertake an anger management course after assaulting Bec Wright, now 21, and her mother while living at their home. Miss Wright gave birth to his daughter, Clio, in the same year.

He has a series of previous convictions, including a prison sentence for hitting another man with a pint glass.

Macdonald, who spends his money on lager and fruit machines, has also had restraining orders taken out against him by two of his children’s mothers and spent time in jail for breaking one of the orders.

Yesterday a defiant Macdonald, of Washington, Tyne and Wear, insisted he would not have a vasectomy.